These rules can help any person who begins to follow them to have a happier lifeand will begin to change the world around them. One person, two people, more
people, many people following these rules will have some influence on society.
Finally we will change the world. It will eventually become a civilized world
again, as some areas of the world have been at different times in the past.
A whole, entire civilized world this time. It's a good aim for one's life: to
become better and happier, teach your children the way, and influence others to
change by example. There are some people who will always imitate what they admire. They will admire anyone who truly and quietly goes about living this way.
This is a spiritual way to live life. It isn't easy, but it is healing.
To "give more" means to have a generous heart. It doesn't mean to give what you
don't have. It may mean only to give a small thing such as a flower you found,
but make little (or big,) acts of giving a way of life. If a person has very little to give they may give a smile. A smile may mean more than you'll ever
know. If you have a feeling heart that is open to inspiration, due to the way
these rules are helping you to grow, you may trust yourself to smile at those you somehow know to smile to. Or to give a helping hand may be only that. Just a
hand to help an elderly person stand as you see them struggling to get up.
It goes on from there. A person who is aware of others besides self will see and give that little help that may make all the difference to some other. Just as
a smile has even been reported by the one saved to have saved her from commiting suicide. She never knew who owned the smile but it gave her new hope.
"Free your heart from hatred." Hatred accomplishes nothing except evil to the
hater, and to the hated. All the great world Teachers have always taught love,
and never taught hate. In the great, never-ending and periodically refreshed and renewed Faith of God we have always been taught to "Love them for the sake of
God." "Love one another as I have loved you." "God is love."
"Free your mind from worries." This is accomplished by putting your whole trustin God and having confidence that even when things are tough you have not been
forgotten.
"Live simply." Some people are forced to live very poorly. This is not the
same as living simply. Choose to live simply, whether you are very rich, or have just enough. If you are poor enough not to have healthy shelter, warmth
in winter, and clean water, and shade in the heat, decent clothing, healthful food, access to reading, writing and arithmetic, and knowledge of the ways to live
and to put your knowledge to use in your society, then you are deprived.
For such a personm the aim is to live simply where it is possible in life, and to continue to do so when and if life changes.
"Demand less" is an interesting way to put it. The word "demand" is the key to
this point. It is fine to work for more; to learn more so that you can earn
more; to achieve more so that you can do more for your family and yourself and other people. But to DEMAND from God is not permissible. We are subjects, and not the King. We would be rising above our human position. To be happy one needs to be respectful of God and to practise contentment. There is the story of a
very poor man who was a happy man. I may tell it to you in another post.
Expect miracles in life. The word "miracles" may throw some people off. It
sounds almost as though a person is supposed to be superstitious. In this case
it is an attitude of trust and hopeful expectation. This opens the way for
the unexpected to happen, and when it does, to be ready for it. People who
don't have hope and expectation can become deadened. In fact the unexpected,
and surprises, and sychronous events are always happening all around us. If we
remain aware, we'll see them when they do, and some of them will be for us. Sometimes they teach you something. Sometimes you gain a friend. Sometimes they help you to trust that there is a higher Power than we are at work in the organization of this life. When we are interestedly watching and waiting, paths may open
to us that help us.
These are a few of the things that Neil's post about the five simple rules
said to me. Of course they aren't simple at all! But by calling ourselves to
account each night, and by kindly guiding ourselves to continue to try, we can
more and more remake ourselves and our actions so that life flows more happily
for us and those around us. The more we honestly become these five, the better
life becomes. It may not ever be a materially rich life, but it will hold riches that are beyond wealth. This, in itself, is a "miracle."
All the great Educators have taught these things. Science needs to be balanced
by this kind of teaching. Then we will make good use of science, and science
will enlighten our spirituality and understanding.
Affectionately, Mary
